Palworld has broken records and has achieved one of the best-ever release windows for any videogame title in the whole video game industry. The game reached the top position on Steam’s highest Concurrent Player Count in less than 3 days of its Early Access Release, sold more than 4 million units in the first 3 days and is gaining a massive following for its unique merge of different gameplay aspects, the main of which are Pals, its various creatures that are catchable and tamable by players that help in various ways and add layers to its Open-World Survival genre.
Palworld – The Association with Pokemon:
One of the most prominent things about this game is its association with Pokemon, the comparison of its new creatures which are obtainable through using balls, have various types and skills that help players in various ways. The similarity between the two is so clear that a full controversy has even arisen that Pal designs could even be redos of Pokemon designs just changed up and merged together, some even calling AI usage by Palworld’s developer Pocket Pair. However aside from that, what puts Palworld aside from newer Pokemon titles is that it does not hold the generic story and plot sequence that almost all Pokemon videogame titles have, as well as other aspects such as better graphics, survival design, extra Pal mechanics and usage and more.
However, the uncanny relation of Palworld with Pokemon is that Palworld is everything that Pokemon isn’t, an aspect that could verily be the reason for the huge success of Palworld. Although it points to the difference, it is the same point that associates the game with the largest franchise in the world and could be one of the reasons why the game has gained such a huge following.
The Uncanny Relationship of Palworld and Pokemon:
It’s fairly simple, Pokemon is one of the most successful franchises in the world and the largest one ever made, with its videogame genre being considered unique that does not include much competition. The creature-collecting aspect entices players who are interested in obtaining a collection of animals or monsters and using them to battle others and progressing through a set story. Over the years, Pokemon defined and pursued the genre and has been hailed as one of the most successful franchises in the videogame industry, with game after game now coming through with the newest mainline Pokemon titles holding the Open World Aspect as well. The Pokemon Company and Nintendo have solely held the position they made, with the newest Pokemon games coming each year by the time set for the whole franchise and its many parts and paving the way together to make one of the most versatile and largest forms of media.
Those who wanted more:
However, with this definition, their limitations that were left unaddressed as time went on did gain some volume of their own, and many fans did hold many things they wanted from the games which the company did not push through with. Due to the regular limitations and comparisons of Pokemon titles with other games and the Nintendo console with other same-gen consoles, many pointed out the lacking aspects of the Pokemon games. These critiques are not few and include Performance, Graphics, Polish, and basic Gameplay design as well which has been left unchanged for most of the last two decades. Hence with no competition, The Pokemon Company would safely work their way through at their own pace, not the pace that fans wanted. And so hence a sort of opening was created, a place that could be a game that would entice the many players who always wanted high graphics, good performance, dark tone and something extra from a Pokemon game. They wouldn’t be getting it from Pokemon, so now they’ve suddenly received it in the form of Palworld, a new game from Developer Pocket Pair which holds everything that players wanted and Pokemon didn’t give and also incentivises those that do not find Pokemon as a suitable mode of the genre.
Pals come with many different uses that help out players in different forms to add more incentive to each one. They are used as partners that can help with lighting a fire, carry items, used as rides, and many other aspects, a practicality was touched upon by Pokemon, but not to this extent. This alongside the graphics and the Survival gameplay puts Palworld in a unique situation where players who have played Pokemon feel a sense of fulfilment from this practicality. Additionally, the modern graphics are a big positive point as well to go alongside the good performance as the game is available on PC and Xbox consoles.
Those who wanted something else:
For those that never liked Pokemon for what it was, they would love to try out Palworld, because that’s exactly what it is; everything Pokemon never was. The gameplay, the looks, and everything about Palworld would give players a new experience that merges different aspects of Shooter titles, Survival, Building and more, merged into one through the additional genre of creature collecting, something that Pocket Pair has done almost perfectly.
The developer has nailed the game for what it is and has positioned it in the perfect manner that would allow it to shine to all kinds of gamers, and it shows how well they've done it through the game's early access release window. Hence Palworld fits in a unique place that helps cater to those who want something more and something different from Pokemon, with their own game being the sole bearer of this experience.
Most titles take months, even years to reach the numbers that Palworld has reached in mere days. Hence for whatever reason players may count, the game as an example of an immensely successful videogame title holds many traits that other developers would be interested in observing and adapting to their works and maybe for once, The Pokemon Company would be looking to reconsider what their stance is about game deliverance and expectations from fans around the world.
For more on the game, check out Palworld’s official website.
